We sometimes think of the New Testament era as the golden age of the church compared to which our own era is more than a bit rusty. Paul’s correspondence with the Corinthians should help perish any such thought, for few New Testament-era congregations were as spiritually malformed and morally degenerate as theirs. Few modern congregations are.

Remember, the Corinthian congregation was divided by a pride that was embarrassed of “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1:10-4:21). This congregation tolerated the incestuous relationship of one of its members (5:1-12), sued one another in pagan law courts (6:1-11), and thought little against utilizing the services of prostitutes (6:12-20, esp. 15-17). Pride, division, and sexual immorality: In the trifecta of vice, the Corinthians were runaway winners. And that’s only a partial listing of their immoral behaviors!

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul offered a three-pronged argument against the Corinthians’ use of prostitutes.  He corrected their false theology of Christian freedom (verses 12-14), he reminded them of the purpose of marital and spiritual union (verses 15-17), and he warned them that sexual immorality damages the self (verses 18-20).

Let’s take a look at the first prong of Paul’s argument in verses 12-14:

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

Verses 12 and 13 offer two Corinthian slogans that encapsulate their false theology of Christian freedom: “Everything is permissible for me” and “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” The first slogan expresses the false theology and the second slogan justifies it. “Everything is permissible” is seductive, and wrong. It is seductive because it lets our desires get the upper hand over us. It is wrong because, among other things, not every desire is good for us, and some are downright addictive.

The rationalization for this false freedom is “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.” In other words, if you feel a desire and you have a body part to meet that desire, go ahead and use it. Some commentators believe (with the NIV translators) that “God will destroy them both” is Paul’s answer to the Corinthian rationalization. But perhaps it is better to understand it as part of the rationalization. In other words: “If you feel a desire, use your body to fulfill the desire, for God’s going to destroy the body eventually.”

The problem with this rationalization is its bad theology. “The body is meant…for the Lord.” He created it. He judges it. He is, through the death and resurrection of the embodied Son of God, redeeming it. You can’t follow Jesus and do whatever your body wants. It must do what honors him (6:20).